Ballon d'Or ceremony: Alexia Putellas makes historical past, Actual Madrid males's gamers take offense and boos for Mbappé?

Muricas News  — 

FC Barcelona and Spain star Alexia Putellas retained the Ballon d’Or Féminin on Monday, the award offered to one of the best ladies’s participant of the final 12 months, turning into the primary lady in historical past to win back-to-back Ballon d’Ors.

The 28-year-old midfielder claimed the prize regardless of lacking Euro 2022 with an anterior cruciate ligament harm. She confronted stiff competitors from the likes of Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze, who each gained that competitors with England.

“I’m very completely satisfied to be again right here,” Putellas mentioned when accepting her award. “A 12 months in the past, I used to be in a position to win this prize and it pushed me to need to get even higher.

“With out my teammates, this wouldn’t have been attainable. I need to thank the technical workers and the coach as nicely. And to thank everybody concerned on the membership off the pitch.”

Whereas Putellas now faces a prolonged layoff as she recovers from harm, she was a pivotal member of Barcelona’s success final season.

As captain, she impressed the Catalan membership to a home treble, scoring 18 league objectives and offering 15 league assists.

She was additionally the highest scorer within the ladies’s Champions League final season with 11 objectives, however Barça was denied a second title after being crushed by Olympique Lyonnais Féminin within the remaining.

England’s Mead completed in second, with Australia and Chelsea star Sam Kerr being voted third.

In the meantime, Karim Benzema was topped the winner of the boys’s award after a stellar season with Actual Madrid, receiving the trophy from the final Frenchman to win the award, Zinedine Zidane, 24 years in the past.

The Frenchman impressed his aspect to the La Liga title and led scoring within the Champions League final season with 15 objectives – together with some pivotal ones within the knockout levels – to assist Madrid to its 14th European Cup.

Nevertheless, whereas nobody can have a difficulty with Benzema claiming his maiden Ballon d’Or, a lot of his teammates have raised an eyebrow over the award ceremony.

Actual Madrid gamers had been notably perturbed after they didn't win the award handed out to one of the best males’s staff, regardless of successful La Liga, the Spanish Supercup and the Champions League.

Madrid was voted in third, behind Liverpool in second and Manchester Metropolis in first – who many followers say play a extra enticing model of soccer. Los Blancos beat Liverpool within the remaining of the Champions League.

“We had been all a bit confused on the Metropolis win,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois advised Spanish radio, irritated that he additionally completed seventh within the particular person awards regardless of successful finest goalkeeper.

In the meantime, his Madrid teammate Toni Kroos tweeted: “third finest staff in 2021/22 - completely satisfied @realmadrid?”

The awards are voted for by a choose group of 100 journalists from all over the world however yearly appears to convey contemporary controversy from followers and gamers alike.

The ceremony was hosted in Paris, France, with gamers from throughout the globe attending.

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappé was a type of to make an look, however the World Cup winner was given a blended response from individuals who had gathered exterior the venue.

Rumors final week prompt the 23-year-old was sad at PSG and that he was in search of a transfer away from the membership as quickly as January, simply months after spurning Actual Madrid to signal an extension to remain in Paris.

Each PSG and Mbappé have since denied such hypothesis, however he nonetheless acquired some boos from some within the crowd as he made his technique to the purple carpet.

Mbappé, who was not anticipated to win the award, got here sixth total.